Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1950 [PAGE 175]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

172

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[November 19

of value. During 1942-1943, Professor Jordan was obliged to resign from the University because of poor health and since then the instrument has not been used. The Department has not been able to find a successor who would be interested in and qualified to carry on research with the mass spectrograph. The University now has an opportunity to sell this instrument to the Argonne National Laboratory for use by Dr. A. J. Dempster, a world authority on mass spectroscopy. It appears unlikely that anyone else will want the instrument or at least be willing to pay for it. The instrument cost the University $16,087. This includes the cost of materials used, the time of the departmental machine shop, and the time of a glass blower. It does not include any of Professor Jordan's time, a good deal of which was spent on the design of the instrument. The Head of the Department of Physics, the Dean of the College of Engineering, and the Dean of the Graduate College recommend the sale of the instrument to the Argonne National Laboratory for $15,000. This price was set by the Head of the Department after consultation with several parties concerned and has been accepted by the Argonne National Laboratory. The price is approximately what it cost the University to construct the instrument but is considerably below present-day replacement cost. On the other hand, no one would purchase it at the replacement figure because it would be preferable to construct a new instrument exactly suited to the purposes of the user. Hence the price proposed appears equitable. I recommend that file Board of Trustees authorize the sale of this instrument and that the proceeds be appropriated to the Department of Physics for its research work.

On motion of Mr. Davis, this sale was authorized and the receipts assigned as recommended, by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Holt, Mr. Livingston, Mr. McKelvey, Dr. Meyer, Mr. Nickell, Mr. Williamson; no, none; absent, Mr. Fornof, Mr. Green, Dr. Luken, Mr. McLaughlin.

AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES ON REMODELING OF OLD BOILER HOUSE AT URBANA (6) On January 8, 1948 (Minutes, page 954), the Board authorized the acquisition of an electronic digital computer at an estimated maximum cost of $150,000. It has been decided to house the computer project in the old boiler house, which was vacated when the new power plant was erected. The old boiler house is now a part of the Physical Plant Service Building and is used as a warehouse. It is desired to remodel this building by putting in floors and other interior installations to make full use of the available space, which is not only urgently needed for the computer project but also for other important University activities now inadequately housed. The Building Program Committee included $200,000 for remodeling this building in its recommendations for 1949-1951, under the heading of Building Remodeling and Improvement at Urbana. The Board approved this item as a part of the capital appropriations for 1949-1951. It is very desirable that plans and specifications be prepared at once so that work can go forward as soon as funds become available. The Physical Plant Department has recommended that Holabird and Root and Burgee of Chicago be engaged for this service on a fee basis of AVI per cent of the estimated cost of the project for working drawings and specifications only, and 6 per cent of the total cost for complete service if funds are appropriated for the remodeling but not to exceed a maximum fee of $15,000 for architectural services. The firm offered a credit for studies made by the University four years ago for use of the same area as a warehouse or storage building, which resulted in approximately the same general solution as is now proposed, the exact amount of credit to be determined later, after preliminary studies have been completed and the amount of savings can be determined. It is estimated that this credit will amount to about one-half per cent. Negotiations are in progress to secure outside funds to support and strengthen the computer program, and it is hoped that a proposal based on these negotiations can be submitted to the Board at an early meeting. Meanwhile, however, the availability of space in the boiler house at the earliest possible date is essential to the